MLB Player News

Cabrera is not in the lineup for Friday's contest versus the Blue Jays.

Toronto is sending left-hander Yusei Kikuchi to the mound, so the Yankees are going with Jon Berti at third base while the switch-hitting Cabrera begins this one on the bench. After going 7-for-13 in his first three games of the season, Cabrera is 2-for-13 over his last four contests.

Loaisiga was placed on the 60-day injured list by the Yankees on Friday, retroactive to April 4, with a right flexor strain.

Per Greg Joyce of the New York Post, manager Aaron Boone said it's a "significant" strain. Loaisiga will meet with doctors Friday, and surgery would seem to be on the table. The right-hander ended last season on the injured list with an elbow issue and has a long history of arm problems.

Jansen's velocity is down close to three mph on his cutter to begin the season, Julian McWilliams of The Boston Globe reports.

Jansen didn't get in much work during spring training due to a back issue and is still building up toward his usual form. He labored through back-to-back outings Tuesday and Wednesday, needing 20-plus pitches in each, but that he was able to pitch on consecutive days is encouraging. Jansen has converted both his save chances so far with a 0.00 ERA in three innings, albeit with a 5:5 K:BB.

Velazquez went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, an additional RBI, a walk and two runs scored in Thursday's 10-1 win over the White Sox.

Velazquez provided the Royals' early offense with an RBI single in the second inning and a solo shot in the fourth. The 25-year-old has some interesting power -- he's already swatted two homers through five games this season after hitting 17 in 53 contests a year ago. Velazquez is batting .294 with a 2:7 BB:K, three RBI and four runs scored over 19 plate appearances. The Royals are making sure he's not a full-time player against right-handed pitchers early on, though he could force his way to that kind of role if he continues to hit well.

Kwan went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Twins.

Kwan logged multiple hits for the third game in a row and the fifth time in eight contests this season. The outfielder is batting a stellar .385 with a home run, three RBI and 10 runs scored over eight contests at the top of a surprisingly productive Guardians lineup. Some of his success comes from it being early in the season, but Kwan hit .298 as a rookie in 2022 before dropping to .268 last season -- he's on track for a better showing if he can avoid lengthy slumps in 2024.

Melendez went 2-for-4 with a two-run homer, a double and an additional run scored in Thursday's 10-1 victory over the White Sox.

Melendez delivered the final blow in the Royals' eight-run seventh inning, blasting a two-run, 421-foot homer off Dominic Leone to extend Kansas City's lead to 10-1. It's the first long ball of the year for the 25-year-old Melendez. though he's gotten off to a nice start, going 7-for-21 with five extra-base hits through his first six games. Melendez slashed .235/.316/.398 with 16 homers, 56 RBI and 65 runs scored across 148 games last season.

Lorenzen (neck) threw 70 pitches while allowing one run across four innings in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday, Jeff Wilson of RangersToday.com reports.

Lorenzen signed late in the spring and is using his stint on the injured list primarily to build up his pitch count. He made significant progress from his first outing when he threw 50 pitches, meaning it's realistic that he'll be with the Rangers for his next outing. Though it hasn't been confirmed, Lorenzen could make his season debut during the upcoming three-game set versus Oakland, which begins Tuesday.

Soroka (0-1) took the loss Thursday against the Royals, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out two over six innings.

It was an encouraging effort from Soroka after the right-hander allowed four runs over five innings in his first outing this season. Soroka struggled to a 6.40 ERA in seven starts last year with Atlanta after missing the previous two campaigns with a myriad of injuries. While Soroka should be locked into a starting role in Chicago, he's unlikely to offer much in terms of fantasy production. Soroka's currently lined up for a road matchup with the Guardians early next week.

Lugo (1-0) earned the win Thursday, holding the White Sox to one run on eight hits and two walks over 6.2 innings. He struck out three.

Lugo had to deal with traffic all night but managed to hold Chicago to just one run, coaxing four double-play balls en route to his first victory with Kansas City. The 34-year-old Lugo has gotten off to a good start this year, allowing just one run through his first two starts (12.2 innings) after going 8-7 with a 3.57 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 140:36 K:BB across 26 starts last year with San Diego. Lugo's currently lined up for a home matchup with the Astros in his next outing.

Holton pitched two scoreless innings of relief in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Mets. He allowed a hit and struck out one.

Holton has now logged 4.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts across three appearances to begin the season. The lefty doesn't seem like a top option for save chances at the moment, but it is a fluid Detroit bullpen, with Alex Lange, Jason Foley, Shelby Miller and Andrew Chafin all seemingly in the mix to close out games. For now, Holton looks like a strong setup option who could be a decent source of holds.